1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT coupe review from North America
"Fun to drive, not fun to fix"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
OK, so far here's what's happened. After I drove this used car (97 grand am GT) off the lot I got 2,000 miles out of it before the problems arose. Problem one, there was a severe hesitation from takeoff; it would start to accelerate, then puke out almost stalling, then take off. Problem two, sometimes when stopped the engine would surge, it wanted to go, pulling at full force, sometimes even the brakes would not stop it. The volume knob was an issue, but I had an aftermarket CD player installed and the problem is gone. My drivers side power window is also acting up, I see who ever owned it before me tried to cobble it back together, it works right now, but barely. The morning I took this car to my mechanic (for a squeaking belt, new plugs, and a new fuel filter) the cars power steering stopped working. Come to find out it was the power steering pump, which upon replacement required a new sensor. The belt that was squeaking worked the air conditioning unit I have yet to try since it's winter. Anyhow upon further review my mechanic found the belt tensioners were worn out, as well as a sealed bearing in yet another much more expensive unit which I do not remember the name of. Anyways, in order to replace this un-named part free-on must be dumped and replaced, which brings about a special extra fee on top of the already expensive malfunctioning part; which controls many other various aspects of the car. On top of all this, just this morning on my way to work some of the lights stopped illuminating in the gauge cluster. On a more minor note, and completing my problems thus far, an annoying squeak out of the dash area, and a malfunctioning gas lid (the part that opens to put fuel into the car). Surely a fun car to drive, and good on gas, but I think this car is haunted. I have owned this car less than 2 months, and the repair bills are adding up in a hurry. Luckily I voided the warranty when I bought the car for a measly $500 off the sticker price...
Recommended reviews
| 1997 - Grand Am 4 cylinder, small option Great car, but don't skimp on maintaining it - oil and coolant especially |
| This car is solidly reliable!! 190,000+ miles strong! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 twin cam Automatic |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 124000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 127000 miles |
| Previous car | Plymouth Neon |
| Date of Entry | 13th February, 2007 |